Shell says it will restart drilling activities in Namibia’s offshore PEL 39 exploration block in April 2026, marking a renewed push into one of Africa’s most-watched energy frontiers. The campaign will be carried out alongside joint-venture partners QatarEnergy and Namibia’s state-owned company Namcor.
Eduardo Rodriguez, Shell’s country chair for Namibia, announced on Thursday that the company has awarded a contract for the Deepsea Mira drilling unit, operated by Odfjell Drilling and owned by Northern Ocean. The rig will be deployed for the upcoming phase of exploration in the Orange Basin.
The decision signals Shell’s return to the PEL 39 block just months after it wrote down about $400 million linked to an earlier oil discovery it judged commercially unviable in January. Despite that setback, the company appears committed to further testing the basin’s potential.
The Orange Basin, which stretches across Namibian and South African waters, has emerged as a global hotspot following a series of high-profile discoveries by Shell, TotalEnergies, and Galp. International interest in the region has surged, driven by optimism that the basin could become a major new oil-producing zone.
Although Namibia has not yet produced oil, the government is targeting first output by 2030, banking on accelerated development from recent discoveries to transform the country into a significant hydrocarbons player.
Source:Africa Publicity
